“Global influence king:” Fans rejoice as KOFICE declares BTS’ Jungkook as the ‘Most Loved Hallyu Idol’ in multiple countries

BTS’ Jungkook has been declared as the ‘Most Loved Hallyu Idol’ in multiple countries by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE). They conducted a comprehensive survey called the 2023 Overseas Hallyu Survey in at least 30 countries, amongst 25,000 individuals aged between 15 and 59 years of age.

The aim of this research, which was conducted last year, from November 11, 2022, to December 7, 2022, was to understand how international fans and non-Korean fans perceive K-pop and Hallyu culture.

The research was done in India, Australia, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Egypt, China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan. Seven of these nations collectively crowned BTS’ Jungkook as the ‘Most Loved Hallyu Idol’.

Fans of BTS' Jungkook naturally flocked to social media to congratulate the singer on adding another feather to his cap.

BTS’ Jungkook’s fans react to him being declared the ‘Most Loved Idol’

BTS’ Jungkook was declared the ‘Most Loved Idol’ in seven countries - a distinction held by no other K-pop idol. Overall, he is the third most loved K-pop idol, following the Gangnam Style hitmaker PSY and IU.

He is also one of the top 5 most popular Hallyu stars in the world, which includes his own group BTS as the most popular Hallyu artist ranking number one in a whopping 23 out of the 26 surveyed countries. The Euphoria singer's fans took to social media to react to his new achievement.

The aforementioned survey factored in the BTS singer's Qatar World Cup soundtrack, Dreamers in collaboration with Fahad Al Kubaisi, and his performance at the opening ceremony in Qatar’s Al Bayat stadium as one of the events influencing the Korean Wave's rising popularity.

Jungkook's global fame is evidenced by the fact that he was the first Korean soloist to perform at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup. He was named a top idol contributing to the Hallyu wave for several reasons, including his role as the brand ambassador for Calvin Klein.

Fans have pointed out that this is an amazing feat considering the talented Bangtan member is yet to make his solo debut. BTS’ Jungkook and V are the only two remaining members who are yet to make their solo debut.

It is reported by Hanwha Investment & Securities, that BTS' Jungkook and V, the septet's two youngest members will release their solo albums in the second half of 2023. The My Time singer is slated to release his album in the final quarter of this year - October to December.

BTS’ Jungkook to reportedly collaborate with Justin Bieber in his upcoming album

Last month, BTS’ maknae flew to Los Angeles and was photographed with HYBE America’s CEO Scooter Braun, Grammy Award-winning record producer Andrew Watt, and BTS’ producer Bang PD in a recording studio. A few fans even dug up a photo of Justin Bieber at the same recording studio and deduced that the two global stars would be collaborating soon.

It is public knowledge that both Jungkook and Justin Bieber are signed under the same management, HYBE, and hence, fans are anticipating a collaboration between them. However, there has been no official confirmation, but fans are optimistic because both artists are admirers of each other's work and have voiced their desire to work together in the past.

About the author

Anwaya is a journalist who covers Korean Pop at Sportskeeda. She holds a post-graduation degree in Marketing and Communication. She firmly believes that Korean content is the present and future, and hopes fans find her and SK POP as the medium that connects them to their favorite Korean stars and find comfort in our content, especially curated for readers

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